Expectedly Unexpected
by Blissful Anonymity
Summary: When one door closes on you, a window opens. Kagome has taken advantage of this, and finds solace in an unusual entity after a disheartening assault happens. Through this person, she learns about pack and pride, and matters of the heart.
1. Sunset musings

Sunset musings

Kagome gave a long gusty sigh from where she sat, perched in the lower branches of a tree. She had wandered away from her companions at the campsite, just needing some alone time. As she watched the sun slip below the horizon, she contemplated random issues.

'How am I going to salvage my grades? Can they even be saved at this point? Ugh, did I remember the ramen? I sure hope so. It's the only thing that keeps Inuyasha relatively quiet these days. And whatever am I going to do once the shikon jewel is complete? I don't really belong here, but then again I don't really belong anywhere anymore….'

Giving another drawn-out sigh, she gave up thinking about that last, particularly unsettling notion. She shivered in the twilight, and resignedly made her way back to the campsite, and into her sleeping bag.

And all the while, she was unaware of the set of eyes that had followed her every movement.


	2. A little bit of esctasy

A little bit of esctasy

A hand, tangled in her hair, tilted her head insistently as the kiss was deepened. Kagome was too helpless to do anything but clench the fabric of his shirt in her hands, trying desperately not to make a sound. The effort was futile, and she moaned against his lips.

The soft sound only served to fuel his passion, and he gently nipped at her bottom lip. Shocked, Kagome gasped, unconsciously inviting him into her mouth. Taking full advantage, his tongue swept into her mouth and massaged her own.

Kagome could feel herself slipping, slipping away from what she knew. All she could think of were the sensations running through her body at his touch. And, oh, his _touch._ It was simply addicting.

Vaguely, she could feel his hand slip underneath her shirt, long fingers trailing over her bare skin. She arched her back into him, and whimpered, a sound of pure want. His hands shifted, moved closer…..

Kagome woke up with a loud gasp, and a particularly prominent blush staining her cheeks. She quickly scanned the campsite, and gratefully saw everyone was still sleeping peacefully. Burying her head in her hands, she unsuccessfully tried to banish the all too vivid mental images from her mind.

Gnawing her fingernail in frustration, Kagome reflected on how this was the fourth time this month that she'd had such a dream. Every time, it was the same man. He was captivating, and altogether dominant over her, not ever slowing his affections for her. But thankfully he was always stopped relatively early by Kagome's uncanny ability to wake herself up just in time, so she was still preserved her modesty. 'I don't know how I would cope if he went further,' she mused, and quickly thought of other, non-blush inducing things, like her geometry teacher.

With such sobering thoughts in her mind, she gave a shudder in the cold early morning air, and let herself surrender to sleep again. Just before she drifted off, she murmured drowsily, "I wonder when I'll get to see his face. I can never see his face…"

And still, no one took any notice of the slight rustle in the bushes nearby.


	3. How to break her

Short author's note: This chapter is dedicated to Sweet Possum, my first reviewer. Thank you very much. On a more serious note, this chapter is not for the faint of heart. Please do not read it if you aren't at least sixteen years of age. The content is a bit graphic, thus the rating of M. I promise, though, that I will make sure the next chapter will fill in any plot holes that not reading this chapter might cause. Thank you for understanding.

* * *

How to break her

As the rest of the camp slept unawares, a figure stealthily crept out of the bushes, and dashed to Kagome's side. Furtively looking around, they quickly snatched her up, sleeping bag and all, and made a run for it, all the while being extremely careful to not wake her or her companions up.

About an hour later, Kagome was set down upon a thick blanket of furs as her captor finally released her. Unfortunately, they jostled her a bit, and she stirred, blinking about confusedly. 'When did I get in a cave? And, ugh, it smells like wet dog in here,' she mused.

Suddenly, she locked eyes with her kidnapper. And screamed. Loudly. And promptly slapped him across the face.

"Kouga! What are you _doing_?"

Despite having been just slapped, said wolf looked proud of himself, puffing out his chest importantly.

"I'm saving you from that dog turd of a half-breed. Aren't you happy?"

Kagome's right eye had developed a nasty twitch, and her nails were digging into her palms in frustration.

"Happy? _Happy?! _You think I should be _happy_ with you abducting me from my friends and traveling companions? What business do you have that entitles you to meddle in my life?"

Looking for all the world that it was obvious, Kouga replied, "But you're my woman."

Discarding the sleeping bag, Kagome stood up in a fury and yelled, "I am _not_ your woman! I am not your anything! Not now or ever! We used to be friends, but not anymore. Friends don't kidnap each other!"

With a growl that even Inuyasha would be proud of, the irate miko swiftly kicked Kouga in the shin, then stomped out of the cave, not bothering to check her surroundings. Her only thought was to get out of there, and never return.

As she walked, steam practically radiated off of her seething form, despite the morning's coolness. After about a mile, though, her anger abated into plain weariness.

Sighing deeply, Kagome muttered, "I am so sick of this. If it's not Kouga acting up, it's Inuyasha. If it's not him, it's Miroku. If it's not him, it's Naraku. And if it's nobody at all, it's that man in my dreams. I swear, I am life's favorite punching bag at the moment. Things couldn't possibly get any worse."

Saying so, she promptly tripped over a tree root and went sprawling.

"Why, thank you, life. You've managed to prove me wrong yet again," she moaned bitterly, and just let her head drop into the grass. And that's when she sensed it.

It was two jewel shards, approaching at a remarkably fast pace. Muttering curses under her breath, Kagome hauled herself upright again, and turned to face the direction that the shards were coming from. She braced herself for another Kouga onslaught, while she futilely wished for a rosary to put on the dense wolf, one that would send him flying away from her.

He came into view shortly, and skidded to a stop in front of her, only to trip over the same root that had introduced Kagome to the ground earlier. With an unladylike snort, she prodded his head with her foot, and quipped, "Have a nice trip?"

Kouga answered back as well as possible that the mouthful of dirt and grass he had would allow. Sitting up, he spat disgustedly, then wiped his tongue off on his equally dirty hand, rather negating the action.

Getting quite bored with his antics now, Kagome sighed again and started to walk off. She hadn't gotten very far when a vicious snarl sounded behind her, then she was tackled to the ground.

Kouga straddled her waist, pinning Kagome's arms above her head, a wicked gleam dancing in his eyes.

"You will not walk away from me. Ever again! You _are_ my woman. I will force you to see it. I'm going to make you mine right now, and then you'll never be able to return to that half-breed ever again."

Letting the full meaning of his words sink in, the trapped miko gasped and began struggling against the wolf demon. Growling irritatedly, Kouga leaned down and got right in her face, saying, "Alright. We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. Take your pick. Either way, you're going to be mine. The level of pain you get depends on you."

Kagome just blinked at him, then her eyes narrowed into slits and she hissed, "I will _never_ be yours, no matter what you do to me."

Chuckling dangerously, Kouga replied, "And that's what you think."

Then, he freed one of his hands, still keeping her wrists pinned with the other, and slowly sliced down the front of her blouse. Kagome thrashed beneath him, desperate to break free of him, but it was useless. It only served to annoy him more, and caused him to put unbearable pressure on her wrists.

"Just quit fighting," Kouga ground out, his hand snaking under the miko's skirt, and rubbing at her inner thigh.

Kagome began to panic, and instinctively her body began to emit a faint pink glow. Realizing that she was going to try to purify him, Kouga racked his brain for something that would shock her into immobilization, and would save his skin for the moment. With an inspirational thought, he relocated slightly, roughly pulled down her panties, and thrust a finger into her.

The two just remained there, neither one moving, Kouga still inside her. No one had ever touched Kagome like this before. She was still a virgin, hadn't even had her first kiss yet, and her mind just shut down at this violation. Kouga felt immense relief when he saw his plan had worked, the pink aura around Kagome fading into nothingness.

Relief swiftly changed to anger, though, as Kouga muttered maliciously, "Apparently you've chosen the hard way. And believe me, I'll make it hard for you."

Saying so, he slammed another finger into her, causing her to cry out in pain, and yank uselessly at her confined wrists. With a wicked grin he chided her, "Now, now, mate. There's no escape, so you might as well enjoy it."

Eyes blazing with rage, Kagome seethed, "I am _not_ your mate."

Jeering at her contemptuously, Kouga replied, "Not yet. But you soon will be."

And with that he forced another finger into her viciously.

Kagome cried herself almost hoarse, tears slipping down her face as his fingers pumped in and out of her, ravaging her again and again, claws tearing at the soft skin down there. Then, after a particularly fierce thrust, he stopped, saying, "Enough of this. You will be my mate now, and forever."

He with drew his fingers, coated with her essence and blood, and stripped off his armor, letting it clink softly as it hit the ground. Kagome, too crushed to even fight, just lay there sobbing as Kouga removed most of the rest of his outer wear.

Just when he was about to enter her, a strong voice rang out.

"I do not think you wish to do that."


	4. To save the broken

Dedicated to Fuchsin, whose review I value, and would appreciate some more feedback on.

This new revised chapter is dedicated to my action-loving reviewers, Lloyd Phoenix and ASKRouy. Thank you for the shove in the right direction, I didn't know I was shorting you an epic battle. Hope this revised edition is more up to snuff.

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To save the broken

As the threat rang powerfully through the air and distracted Kouga momentarily, Kagome lost no time in scrambling away from him. Without a shred of hope, her eyes stared blankly at the scene which unfolded before her as Kouga viciously attacked the intruder.

Claws clashed with claws. Black hair mixed with silver. Electric blue eyes met golden ones. It was hard to tell where one demon started and where the other left off.

Kouga, blinded by his lust and rage at being interrupted from having his way with Kagome, attacked without thought or preparation. Each time he was repulsed, sending him skidding backwards. And each time Kouga flew right back into the fray, not realizing that his opponent was maliciously toying with him at first.

That is, until the battle took an ugly turn. With one hit, Kouga was sent flying face-first into the ground with a sickening crack. Not willing to give up yet, the wolf demon scrambled to his feet, marginally dodging wickedly sharp claws. Ducking under the strike, Kouga stormed his aggressor, only to be delivered a swift kick to the face. In the time it took him to reorient himself, long gashes appeared on Kouga, skin shredding from his torso. Letting loose an ear-piercing howl at the pain, the wolf then snarled and rushed once again. A low-sweeping horizontal swipe, surely meant to disembowel him, narrowly missed the wolf.

As he leapt backwards, Kouga paused a moment to regroup. His adversary was being far too calm about this, and thus made him harder to predict. He wasn't even using his sword, making it doubly as hard to anticipate an attack. Steeling his nerves, Kouga readied himself, and charged.

Faking a left, Kouga dug his claws into the earth and twisted around, bringing himself in back of his foe. As the wolf was reaching around to slice his challenger's throat, the nauseating sound of skin tearing and bones snapping was heard. Looking down, Kouga saw a hand piercing clean through his ribcage, and coming out the other side. As it was withdrawn, the wolf demon convulsed, then vomited up an unsettling amount of blood. With a cough and a spit, the demon growled savagely, clearly stating that he wasn't out of the fight yet.

But Kouga was losing ground, and blood, fast. Pressing a hand to the hole in his ribs, Kouga tried to staunch the blood vainly, but the sanguine flow seeped past his fingers and ran in rivulets down his side.

In a last-ditch effort, Kouga dropped his defensive strategy, and weaved erratically at his target. Surprisingly enough, Kouga managed to land his next attack, kicking the back of his opponent's knee and sending them stumbling a little. But getting that close to the enemy was a mistake, as their hand then wrapped around the wolf's throat and gave a mighty squeeze. Now struggling for breath, and hearing the vertebrae in his neck snap ominously, Kouga made the mistake of looking into his opponent's eyes, and saw more emotion there than was ever seen before.

That was the last thing he saw that day.


	5. Starting anew

Dedicated to my reviewers and readers. Thank you for your time.

* * *

Starting anew

A scream tore its way out of Kagome's throat as Kouga's limp body was tossed carelessly aside, just at her feet. Weakly, she managed to right herself, when the ache between her legs flared excruciatingly. With a high-pitched whine of pain, she doubled over, and would've collapsed to the ground had an arm not neatly snaked around her waist.

At the sudden contact from her savior, Kagome reacted violently, lashing out at him and twisting away.

Whimpering, she sank to her knees and pleaded, "Don't touch me. Just don't hurt me. No more. Please."

He responded in turn, "I'm not the one who hurt you."

Looking up at him with a tear-streaked face, Kagome asked tremulously, "Can I trust you?"

His only answer was a nod as he picked her up. Shuddering slightly, the miko buried her face in his shoulder and began to sob openly.

A deep growl, akin to a purr, rumbled through the taiyoukai's chest as he held her fractionally closer, almost reassuringly. Then without much warning, the scenery changed to a blur as he sped off with his new bundle.

"Thank you…..Sesshoumaru……"


	6. Necessary contact

Alright, ASKRouy, here's your chicken. This chapter is all yours. All 1,401 words of it. And don't feel left out, Lloyd Phoenix. The next chapter will be yours, and action packed, too. But only if I can tweak the plot enough. An epic battle is coming for you regardless, though, if I can't fit it in the next chapter.

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Necessary contact

The gentle motion of Sesshoumaru's pace lulled Kagome into a deep sleep, but even in sleep, the worry lines that creased her forehead still prevailed. The taiyoukai momentarily gazed at her, no emotion betraying his thoughts as he continued to dash through the forest.

Hours later, just as the sun was about to set, the demon halted in the midst of a camp. He was about to be greeted with squeals of delight and groveling, but a stern look from him silenced his two followers quickly. Instead, Rin ran over to affectionately tackle his leg, while Jaken suspiciously eyed the bundle in the taiyoukai's arms.

With a graceful shrug, Sesshoumaru detached himself from the small girl's hug and settled himself at the base of a large tree. He laid Kagome down next to him, or at least attempted to before realizing she was _attached _to him. While sleeping, she had wrapped herself securely in Sesshoumaru's empty left sleeve. Disregarding that this might have been done for comfort and a sense of safety, the demon calmly disentangled her, and set her down as planned.

With a small whimper, the miko's hand groped about blindly before brushing up against his leg, where it promptly grabbed a hold of his pants. Mildly entertained, a small smirk twitched at the corner of the demon's mouth.

How persistent this human was, never straying from her protector, even in a dead sleep. And so the taiyoukai decided to test her. He removed her hand and replaced it next to the miko's side. Quick as a shot, Kagome was reaching for him again, holding the material of his pants even tighter this time. With a bit more work required this time, Sesshoumaru once again detached her from him.

What she did next thoroughly amused him. It was clear that she had abandoned such easily movable contact when she scooted over to him and laid her head in his lap, her arm casually slung over his legs. Deciding not to harass her any longer, the taiyoukai let her remain, a small chuckle rewarding her tenacity.

* * *

The next morning, Kagome awoke feeling safer and more comfortable than she ever remembered in the Feudal Era. She was pleasantly warm, and blanketed by the softest substance she had ever felt. Starting to stretch languidly, the miko was reminded of her traumatizing experience the day before when an insistent pain flared up between her legs. Muffling a cry in the soft material, she curled up miserably into a ball.

Then a clawed hand was fishing under the soothing cover, searching for her. With a shriek, Kagome was on her feet, trembling and clutching her blanket around her. When she saw it was Sesshoumaru, the girl shakily sighed and sank to her knees before him, murmuring a hasty, "I'm sorry. I thought you…thought you were someone else…"

"Hnn," was his eloquent response.

Taking advantage of his indifference, and swallowing her earlier terror, Kagome took a good look at her surroundings for the first time that morning. There was a small camp established in the tiny clearing the forest afforded for them. Rin and Jaken were still soundly sleeping, huddled close to the smoldering remains of a campfire. Ah-Un was partially asleep, as one of the dragons was surveying the campsite on a secure watch. Then, looking down, Kagome realized that her blanket was not, in fact, a blanket. Looking rather horrified at it, the girl's fears were confirmed. She had snuggled all night with the fluffy boa that Sesshoumaru wore on his shoulder.

Letting out a groan, Kagome came to a swift realization. She was one dead miko.

Hastily handing the fur back to him, the girl began to babble, "I am so sorry! I had no idea that I had this! Please, I meant no disrespect! I'm sor-"

Cutting off her ramblings with a quirk of his eyebrows, Sesshoumaru readjusted the pelt over his shoulder, saying, "It was my wish that you slept with it. You seemed to be cold." Inwardly, he thought, 'That, and you wouldn't let go of my legs until I gave you something else to cling to.'

Blinking at him for a moment, the miko did something totally unexpected. With a whimper, she flung herself at the demon, clutching him tightly as she began to weep.

At this, Sesshoumaru did a quick check of his surroundings. His ward and retainer were peacefully sleeping, and Un, the only one awake, was feigning careful interest to the surrounding forest. And so, the great demon lord let himself relax, and draped his arm over the distraught girl, letting her cry herself out.

Soon, Kagome's sobs turned into sniffles, but she wasn't showing any signs of letting the taiyoukai go. This was going to be a problem, as the demon could hear the acceleration in his travelling companions' heartbeats, signaling their immanent waking. Abruptly standing up, with the miko still securely tucked next to him, he carried her a ways into the forest until they were standing before a hot spring.

Setting her down gently, he indicated the spring, then turned to walk away. A tug on his sleeve detained him, and the demon gazed back to see the girl looking at him imploringly.

"Please. Don't leave me," she whispered.

With a barely perceptible nod, Sesshoumaru settled himself against a rock, discretely facing away from the spring. He heard a bit of rustling as Kagome slipped out of her clothes, then quiet splashes as she waded into the water.

Seconds later, the miko whined in pain, and muttered, "Ow, ow, ow, that smarts."

"Miko?"

Realizing that the demon heard her, Kagome was quick to reassure him. "Oh! Sorry, Sesshoumaru. I'm fine, really. The water just stings my…my cuts, is all."

"Hnn."

The rest of her bath time passed uneventfully, and Kagome was soon dressing herself, when she noticed for the first time the condition of her shirt. It was ripped clean from collar to hem, with no apparent way to salvage it. Thankfully, though, all her other clothes had escaped any damage.

Clearing her throat nervously, and holding the shirt together as best as she could, Kagome approached the taiyoukai and asked, "Uhm, Sesshoumaru? By any chance do you have any spare shirts, or any other sets of clothing that I might use?"

"No," was his simple answer.

Vainly trying to tie the shirt together somehow, she replied, "Oh, well, thanks anyways."

Kagome looked up as the demon arose from his place by the rock, and was shocked when he shrugged out of his haori, leaving him in his nagajuban. He casually held the haori out to the astonished miko, who took it gratefully, but a bit doubtfully.

"Are you sure, Sesshoumaru?"

"You may wear it for now. Later we will find you something more suitable."

Falling in line behind the taiyoukai as he lead the way back to the camp, Kagome murmured a heartfelt, "Thank you."

And promptly attached herself to the left sleeve of Sesshoumaru's nagajuban.

* * *

Alrighty, short author's note here on traditional Japanese clothing. A haori is a short jacket-style kimono that's typically worn by men. Basically Sesshoumaru's shirt here. And the nagajuban is sort of like an undershirt for a kimono, so I don't have to have Sesshoumaru running about half-naked. He'd kill me, you know. That's not included in his contract. Technically, neither is fraternizing with humans. Oopsie! *runs away from angry taiyoukai* Somebody save me!


	7. Small gifts

This chapter is dedicated to Ju Kitsune. And, no, for the record, Kouga was _not_ naked during the battle. He was still wearing that fur kilt thingy. Have no clue what it is, actually. Aha! He was still wearing his man-skirt. There, ingenuity at its best. Look at me go! And as for Lloyd Phoenix, your fight is coming up soon, I promise. I just needed to establish more of the plot, or lack thereof, in this chapter.

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Small gifts

Throughout the next few days, Kagome perpetuated the practice of attaching herself to the demon lord as often as possible. While travelling, she developed the habit of drifting closer and closer to him until she was nestled against his side, matching him stride for stride as they walked. Surprisingly, Sesshoumaru tolerated the encroachment on his personal space quite well, his only reaction being a long, hard look at the miko whenever she thusly affixed herself.

Kagome, for her part, was taking great solace in the protection and unconscious comfort of the taiyoukai. Granted, he was the last person she ever would have expected to be helping her along, and truth be told, he wasn't doing much. But that's exactly what she needed at this time.

Giving a sigh, Kagome thought back on her friends. She missed them dearly, but was reluctant to havetheir presence around. All their questions and comments and sheer impulsiveness when it came to "making her feel better" would only serve to remind her of the incident with Kouga. And for this she was glad to be removed from them for a while.

Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, didn't ask any questions, didn't pry, was just _there._He offered unwitting support just by being so stoic and reassuring. Not in so many ways, but Kagome borrowed his strength, his calm, his presence.

With a start, Kagome realized that she had no real desire to go back to her original traveling companions, at least for a while. She was getting all the care she needed, and healing herself in the process, too. She simply wasn't emotionally ready to face her friends, or explain what had happened to them.

The miko was roused from her musings when Rincame dashing over to her, proudly wielding a massive bouquet of wildflowers in her hand.

"Kagome-sama, Kagome-sama! Can Rin put flowers in your hair?"

Laughing delightedly, Kagome said, "Of course, Rin-chan." She promptly turned around to comply, and just relaxed as the little girl braided and twined her hair with the pretty blooms.

From a safe distance away, Jaken sighed, quite relieved that Rin had found another victim to subject to the wildflower treatment. Far too often, it was himself on the receiving end of getting decorated. And he was thoroughly thankful that Kagomehad joined the group. After all, she was the only one who treated him well, and gave him an ounce of respect. It was a nice change indeed. Sighing again, this time in happiness, Jaken resumed his task of polishing and treating Ah-Un's harness and saddle.

The aforesaid dragons were reposing contentedly in the shade of a large tree, enjoying the well-earned stretch from their confines. With a soft rumble of a growl, the twin heads attentively looked to the south, signaling the arrival of the fifth member of the party.

Sesshoumaru walked gracefully into camp, two freshly skinned rabbits dangling from his claws. These he dumped unceremoniously in front of Jaken, who immediately scrambled to begin preparing them.

The taiyoukai settled himself at the base of a tree, serenely observing the campsite. It seemed as though everything was in harmony, in a way it never had been before. Rin was being watched over by the miko, and most importantly was _occupied_by her as well. Jaken was being pleasant, and held some sort of strange admiration for the human female. Even Ah-Un appeared to be more mellow than usual.

With these inward reflections, Sesshoumaru came to a rapid conclusion. This girl had brought balance and peace with her addition into the group. And a welcome change it was. But, it was rather puzzling at the same time. Considering how she had almost been assaulted, shouldn't she have been utterly despondent? But no, the only sign of her discomfort was the fact that she enthusiastically affixed herself to his personage whenever he was in range. And apparently he was within said range at the moment, since here she came.

Sesshoumaru studied her as she approached him. Her hair was liberally bedecked with wildflowers, courtesy of Rin, giving her an ethereal look. However, the taiyoukai saw anxiety and worry reflected in her eyes, contradicting the smile she seemed to permanently wear.

As she knelt beside him, Kagome rather tactlessly blurted out, "Can I ask you a question?"

Sesshoumarumerely took this in stride, and inclined his head slightly. Taking this as an affirmative, Kagome bravely rambled on.

"You could sense if Inuyasha is coming, right?"

The demon quirked an eyebrow at her, clearly saying, "Well, duh."

Realizing how stupid that had sounded, the miko backtracked a bit.

"Well, of course you can sense him. What I meant to ask was _when_ can you sense him? How close does he have to be?"

Taking one look at her face, and oh-so expressive eyes, Sesshoumaru stated more than asked, "You do not wish to go back with him."

Shaking her head guiltily, Kagome replied, "No, I don't. Not yet at least. I just don't want to have to deal with their sympathy. Is that so selfish?"

"I will know of his approach at least two hours before he arrives, and will notify you in such an event."

Pondering his words for a moment, the miko realized that he did indeed answer her previous question, albeit cryptically. Knowing now that she had an ally in this, Kagome flashed the taiyoukai a brilliant smile, and said a heartfelt, "Thank you."

Having been completely reassured, the girl stood up and wandered over to Jaken. He was just removing the now cooked rabbits from the fire he had made with his Staff of Heads. Each rabbit had a stick spearing it, which the little demon handed to the two humans.

Sinking her teeth into the tasty morsel, Kagome exclaimed, "Mmm! You've surpassed yourself tonight, Jaken-sama. It's excellent!"

At this, Jaken got a bit flustered, and it would even seem as though he blushed under his green skin. He stammered out, "It, uh, well, only humans would like it anyways." But anyone could see he was pleased with the compliment.

Sesshoumaru watched his now three wards as the pretty tableau unfolded before him. His earlier revelations were confirmed once again. The miko truly brought out the best in people. She had Rin giggling delightedly and Jaken grinning at the moment, no doubt over something she had said.

Then Kagomemet the taiyoukai's eyes, and she blinked confusedly at him. Because, for a second, it had looked as though a ghost of a smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth. Peering a little closer, though, revealed him to be simply observing them, as emotionless as ever, causing the girl to dismiss the earlier idea of a smile. She still gave him a sparkling smile of her own, and resumed chatting happily away with Rin and Jaken.

Soon, though, after the food was tucked away into their tummies, Kagome and Rin departed, heading off to the hot spring nearby. Not ten minutes later, Jaken watched, open mouthed, as Sesshoumaru headed after them. But the taiyoukai returned as quickly as he had left, the only evidence he had gone was his haori, once again included in his wardrobe.

Jaken blinked rather stupidly at this new development. His lord had loaned the haori to the girl, but was now taking it back? And without replacing it with some other article of clothing? Oh, this was going to be interesting, indeed. And so the little kappa demon sat back and prepared himself for fireworks.

But the fireworks never came. Instead, Rin came pelting into camp, clearly ecstatic over something, enthusing, "Oh, Sesshoumaru-sama! It's beautiful! Kagome-sama looks so pretty!" Then she promptly dashed back towards the spring again.

Moments later, Rin came into view again, this time towing Kagome along by the hand. And now Jaken saw why there wasn't an uproar caused by an irate half-naked miko. Sesshoumaru _had_made a clothing exchange while taking his haori back. In its place, he had given her a lovely pale-pink kimono, with white cherry blossoms scattered artistically over the fabric.

Kagomewas absolutely radiant over her new wardrobe, and gave a delighted spin in front of the taiyoukai. She exclaimed, much in the manner that Rin had, "Oh, Sesshoumaru! Thank you so much! It's gorgeous, simply gorgeous. Oh, thank you!"

His only answer was a barely perceptible nod and a noncommittal, "Hnn."

And then Rin was dragging Kagome away to show her off to Jaken, and then even to Ah-Un. It was hard to tell which girl was happier about the kimono, actually. But for sure it was a success.

* * *

That night, after everyone else had fallen asleep, Kagome left her spot by the crackling fire and sat down next to Sesshoumaru. Touching the sleeve of her kimono reverently, she remarked, "You know, I've never owned a kimono as pretty as this one. It's absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much."

Then a twinkle crept into her eyes as she teased, "Though I bet you're just as happy to get your own clothes back, aren't you Sesshoumaru?"

Her girlish laughter died in her throat as his eyes narrowed and fixed on her.

"Tell me, human, why is it that you refuse to show me respect? I dismissed it the first few times, but now that you've addressed my lowly retainer as Jaken-_sama_, I can see that your insolence was intentional."

Kagome gaped at him. Her face betrayed astonishment, then horror over what the demon lord had said.

"I would _never_ deliberately disrespect you! That wasn't my intention at all! I have more respect for you than any other demon, honest! I just, well, I just thought we were friends, that's all. But I, I guess not…"

The girl gave a hasty bow, choking out, "Goodnight, then, Sesshoumaru-sama," before fleeing to the comforting warmth of the campfire. Within a few fitful minutes, Kagome was asleep, but not before two silent tears streamed down her cheeks.

Sesshoumaru smelled the salt from her tears, but even the miko's grief didn't ameliorate his wounded pride. He stared blankly into the fire for hours, before slowly shutting his eyes to the world.

Later that night, Kagome woke with a start, gasping for breath. She had her old reoccurring dream again, about the mysterious man, and this time, she couldn't stop him from taking what he wanted from her. He was rougher and more demanding, nothing like the previous entity that shared her dreams. And this time, when she looked up to see his face, she saw more than she ever wanted to. Because it was Kouga leering down at her.

Still in a panicked state, the miko raked her eyes over the campsite, assessing everything. Kagome tried to convince herself that she was safe, but Kouga's face kept dancing in her vision wherever she turned, taunting her. Whimpering pathetically, she curled up into a ball, absolutely refusing to seek comfort from Sesshoumaru after the way he rejected her friendship.

She ended up crying herself to sleep again. As she was fast asleep, a figure strode purposefully towards her. They watched the sleeping miko for a moment, then draped a warm, fluffy substance around her.

As Sesshoumaru returned to his place under the tree, he gave a quiet sigh. Finally, his mind wouldn't be tormenting him any longer. At least for this night.

* * *

I sincerely hope I did better this time with the chapter length. And hopefully I gave you enough plot to digest. I kinda nattered in this chapter. Sorry 'bout that.


	8. Pack Mentality 101

Dedicated to Ju Kitsune. Review response is at the bottom, lovie.

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Pack Mentality 101

Kagome was trapped, with no way out. And, quite honestly, she didn't _want_ out. No, she was quite happy at the moment, because her entrapment happened to be two strong arms, belonging to the man that was currently kissing her senseless.

His hands tangled in her hair, he tipped her head backwards as he dominated the kiss. Then, he took advantage of her exposed neck, causing Kagome to moan as he kissed his way down her throat.

Finding her pulse point at the base of her neck, he slowly ran his tongue across the smooth skin there. He felt the girl arch into him at this, and so he repeated the action, this time making her gasp.

Rather pleased with her response, the man allowed himself a brief chuckle before capturing the miko's lips with his own again. He teased her bottom lip with his teeth, silently asking entrance. She granted it, and their tongues danced together passionately. His quickly asserted control, and swept through her mouth, exploring her, tasting her.

He pulled away shortly, leaving Kagome struggling for breath and clearly dazed. A smirk twitched at the corners of his mouth at seeing her so vulnerable, and because of him, no less.

Knowing the girl had caught her breath by now, he leaned in and gave her the sweetest kiss imaginable, while gently enfolding her in his arms. Kagome just melted into him, completely surrendering.

And then he was gone, leaving only the unmistakable prickle of claws trailing down her back. With a sigh, Kagome touched her lips reverently, understanding that this last kiss was that of goodbye. She wondered if the farewell was only temporary, or had a darker finality to it.

And, at that troublesome thought, the miko departed her pleasant dream world, and woke up to be greeted with an excess of fluff. Lacing her fingers in it, Kagome just luxuriated in the comfort of the pelt, before a startling thought ran through her head. How exactly had she gotten the fur? Had she absconded with it in the middle of the night?

Just pondering the idea of her embarking on a clandestine mission to steal Sesshoumaru's fluff under the cover of darkness sent Kagome into a small giggling fit. Liking the idea so much, mostly due to the hilarity of the situation, the miko adopted it as the official reason why she was wrapped up snug in the taiyoukai's pelt.

And, speaking of the fur, somebody was now trying to remove it from Kagome. Still a bit muzzy from sleep, the girl acted upon selfish impulse, and latched onto it with her arms and legs, deftly managing to pin it beneath her.

But the pelt was clearly not meant to be in her possession much longer, as it was still being pulled from her. The miko staunchly remained clinging to it, despite a few rough shakes that were aimed at liberating the piece of fluff from her clutchy personage.

"Miko."

That one word was all it took for Kagome to fully waken and return to her senses. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself practically nose to nose with Sesshoumaru. Then she looked down and saw that she was dangling a good foot off of the ground, the taiyoukai holding both the pelt and herself suspended from his hand.

Nervously chuckling, the miko at long last relinquished her hold on the fur and slid to the ground. Then, all traces of sheepishness vanished from her visage, as an unnatural rigidity seeped into the way she carried herself.

Her voice also betrayed the change, as she stiffly said, "I'm sorry. It was not my intention to abscond with….with whatever you call that thing. I did not mean to take such liberties with your personal belongings. I will try to squelch my kleptomaniac sleepwalking tendencies better next time."

With a hasty bow, Kagome was about to take her leave from the demon lord, when he spoke.

"Why do you assume you stole it?"

Kagome was rather at a loss for words at this, since it seemed that Sesshoumaru was actively trying to prove himself benevolent of all things.

"I didn't forcibly take it? So you're saying that you gave it to me?"

Shaking her head to dispel this crazy notion, the miko looked curiously at the taiyoukai, wordlessly asking him to elaborate. Surprisingly, he did.

"You are overconfident in your ability to pilfer things. And you are equally erroneous in believing that a camp fire provides sufficient warmth through the night."

Taking a moment for the true meaning of his words to set in, the girl then openly gawked at the demon. Had he just said…..yes, yes he had. In disparaging her thieving aptitudes, Sesshoumaru had clearly stated that it was of his own accord that Kagome ended up with the fur, and because she was cold. Inadvertently, he had just divulged a softer, more compassionate side of himself.

Kagome vaguely wondered what on earth had gotten into the demon lord. But, regardless of whatever curious ailment had Sesshoumaru turning soft, the miko was not one to hold out on gratitude.

All previous attempts at formality and reserve forgotten, the girl gave Sesshoumaru a bright smile and sincerely said, "Thank you. It certainly made a great deal of difference to me."

With a barely perceptible nod of his head, the taiyoukai replaced his now-liberated pelt onto his shoulder and said offhandedly about her earlier comment, "And it is not a thing. It's Mokomoko."

Kagome, who was clearly confused by the look on her face, eloquently said, "Huh?"

Sesshoumaru ran his hand down the edge of the fur.

"This. This is Mokomoko."

Comprehension dawned in the miko's eyes.

"The pelt? It's called Mokomoko?"

Receiving a nod, Kagome decided to push her luck and see how much more he would disclose about the fur.

"What exactly _is_Mokomoko?"

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow at her, and briefly the miko wondered if she had overstepped her boundaries. But the taiyoukai seemed to lapse into a study as he contemplated her question. Deciding on how best to explain it, he spoke.

"Inu youkai are born with it. It is part of us."

"So…..it's like a detachable tail or something?"

The demon shot Kagome a withering look.

"It is not a _tail. _It is Mokomoko."

"So, it's its own entity?"

"Hnn."

Tentatively reaching out to touch Mokomoko, Kagome was pleasantly surprised when Sesshoumaru did nothing to prevent her. Running her fingers through the silky pelt, she asked, "So, if it's a part of you, can you feel this?"

The taiyoukai nodded slightly, causing the miko to gasp slightly and retract her hand. She had practically just _petted_Sesshoumaru. Groaning inwardly, she wondered why the taiyoukai had just tolerated that.

Remembering that she had slept with Mokomoko, Kagome asked, "If it's no longer physically attached to you, can you still sense what it's feeling?"

Again, the demon nodded.

This time, the miko groaned aloud. She said petulantly, "Why didn't you _tell_me this? I would never have let you suffer such an indignity. Just think, a strong and powerful demon lord letting a human, much less a miko, sleep with a part of his person! Why did you let me-"

Swiftly interrupting her, Sesshoumaru said, "You should consider it an honor."

Shocked, Kagome argued, "Oh, but I do! But that's the whole problem. If it's an honor for me, then isn't it a dishonor to you?"

Giving her an unreadable stare, the taiyoukai responded, "No. You apparently do not understand the ways of an inu youkai pack."

Instantly curious, the girl asked, "Will you teach me?"

"Hnn."

And with that cryptic answer, Sesshoumaru walked away into the forest, leaving a very stunned miko in his wake. Instead of running after him, she was quite immobilized by the fact that they had just had…….a _conversation_.

* * *

The taiyoukai didn't return until late that evening, and he happened to walk in on a very pretty scene. Kagome was just twining a few more flowers into Rin's hair, her own hair already having been liberally decorated by the little girl. Even Jaken and Ah-Un had not escaped the floral treatment, and each sported a flower chain necklace.

Highly impatient, Rin fidgeted as the finishing flowers were placed in her hair. Once it was finally done, the little girl dashed off to display her new look to her guardian. Giving a slight nod to her, Sesshoumaru silently appraised the tiny girl. Happy with his acknowledgement, however slight, Rin scampered off to affix herself to the miko's side again.

Kagome watched as the taiyoukai settled himself down next to the campfire which Jaken had just built up, a bit unnerved by the expression he was giving her. She averted her eyes quickly.

"Miko."

Kagome glanced up, and was surprised to see Sesshoumaru beckoning her over. Hoping against hope that she hadn't done anything to warrant a scolding, the girl squeezed Rin's shoulder and made her way over to him.

After she had settled herself next to the tall demon, he began to speak.

"Do you still wish to learn about pack?"

The light in her eyes was a sufficient answer, but Kagome still enthused, "Oh, yes please!"

With a nod, Sesshoumaru began the lesson.

"Inu youkai have traveled in packs since the beginning of their existence. It provides strength, support, and loyalty. The bond between pack mates is nigh unbreakable, but certain things do happen to alter this."

The miko interrupted briefly to ask, "Like what?"

"Death is the most common event to cause a rift in packs. However, there are dissenters who cannot keep control of their fickleness, and outright traitors as well. Also, when a pack grows to be too large, another alpha is chosen, and the previous pack divides itself in two."

"So, alphas are the leaders?"

The taiyoukai nodded briefly, and silently watched the girl as she pondered something deeply. She finally voiced her thoughts, saying, "So, you're the alpha in this pack. What does that make me?"

"Are you referring to this pack or your own?"

Blinking owlishly up at him, Kagome asked, "It's possible to belong to more than one pack?"

"In a way, yes. There is always going to be your true pack, and you can be adopted into others, the way you have been accepted into this pack."

The miko just stared for a moment, then her face broke into a huge grin. She was clearly delighted at this information.

Adopting a bit of formality to her words, she said humbly, "Thank you Sesshoumaru-sama. It is truly an honor you have bestowed on me."

Thinking inwardly that he had nothing to do with her adoption, she had wormed her way into the pack of her own accord, Sesshoumaru merely nodded, and returned to her earlier question.

"You are a beta in this pack. Betas comprise the majority of the members."

"So Rin and Jaken are betas, too?"

Giving quiet thought to this, the taiyoukai smirked almost indistinguishably and said, "You're half right. Rin is indeed a beta. But Jaken is not."

Thoroughly confused now, Kagome let her eyes wander to the toad demon in question and wondered why he wasn't included in the pack dynamics. The taiyoukai's voice brought her back from her reverie.

"Jaken is what is known as an omega."

"Is that something special?"

Sesshoumaru's smirk became more prominent as he responded, "You could say that."

Then he gave her a look, almost telling her to figure it out on her own. Kagome realized this, and furrowed her brow as she dredged up all the memories of Jaken that she could.

And found that there was nothing remotely pleasant about them. They ran the course of Jaken getting kicked, Jaken having to babysit Rin, Jaken getting walloped, Jaken doing all the grunt work, Jaken having to endure target practice, Jaken turning into a flower pot courtesy of Rin, Jaken running all the errands, Jaken getting blamed, Jaken getting all the share of the dirty work, Jaken getting better acquainted with the ground courtesy of Sesshoumaru, Jaken groveling, Jaken having a bad day, Jaken having a bad month, Jaken having a bad year, Jaken having a bad _life_.

Gasping unhappily, Kagome turned her large eyes to the toad demon and her heart went out to him. So being an omega meant that his life had to be as sucky as possible? Right then and there she resolved to be nicer than ever to the poor demon. She couldn't help but clarify her results, though.

"So, Jaken is an omega. That means he has to be the most miserable in the pack?"

Arching an eyebrow at her presumptions, Sesshoumaru corrected, "It means he's the most _expendable_ in the pack."

"Then why is he treated so horribly? Expendable doesn't necessarily mean condemned to a pitiful existence."

"Because he wishes it so."

Kagome's mouth dropped open in abject shock.

"You - you're kidding me, right? No way can someone be treated so badly and like it. Unless… Oh, good heavens, you _have_to be kidding me. Jaken is a _masochist_?"

Sesshoumaru showed more emotion right then than he ever had in his entire life. His eyes flew open and his nose wrinkled in utter disgust, and was almost convinced to gag as the miko was doing at the moment.

Hasty in his efforts to put her erroneous assumptions to rest, he practically blurted out, "Jaken is _not_ a masochist. That's just intolerable."

"No, that's just _sick_, is what it is."

Here she gave a hearty shudder, and buried her head in her hands, moaning, "I really didn't need this today…"

Shooting a withering look at her, the taiyoukai dryly responded, "Neither did I, considering that Jaken is nowhere near being a masochist."

Extremely puzzled now, Kagome protested, "But you just said he wanted to be treated horribly."

"No, I said that he wishes to remain the omega. Perhaps I did not explain this well. There is always an omega within a pack to keep the peace within it. And despite what he says about her, Jaken is very protective of Rin. He is shielding her from becoming the omega by this."

Blushing horribly at her mistake, Kagome just groaned.

"I sure jumped to the wrong conclusion. How embarrassing…"

Sesshoumaru just looked at her archly and agreed, "Indeed."

The miko shot him a glare, the decided to tactfully change the subject.

"So, why is the omega so important to holding the peace? What does Jaken do exactly?"

"Observe him."

Kagome turned her eyes to the little demon, and snickered. He was trying vainly to get Rin to go to bed now, but the girl only had eyes for stealing his hat. Heaven only knows what she was going to do with it, possibly turn it into a flower planter.

Trying hard to think in terms of pack, the miko hesitantly voiced her thoughts aloud.

"Rin is a beta. Jaken is entertaining her while you, the alpha, are busy. So, by her not annoying you, the omega is keeping the peace? He's like a diversion?"

A hint of admiration reflected in the taiyoukai's eyes at the girl's ability to discern the nuances of pack behavior. He nodded, and elaborated on the subject further.

"That is so. The omegas serve as a diversion when necessary, and are consequently used as bait occasionally. They also serve as an easy way to shift blame, so that there will always be someone accountable for whatever misdeed has been conducted."

Kagome was incredibly disheartened at this information, and vowed once again to be as considerate as possible to Jaken. And, whenever possible, she decided to take some of the blame off of the poor demon, and help him in his duties.

Deciding to end the teachings here for the night, Sesshoumaru not-so-subtly stated, "It is late."

The miko at his side blinked surprisedly and peered into the now inky sky, only illuminated by their campfire. Giving a content sigh, she bowed to the demon and said, "Thank you for the lesson, Sesshoumaru-sama. It was indeed an honor to learn about the ways of a pack from you."

The taiyoukai inclined his head in response, and watched as the girl stood up and made her way over to the squabbling mess that was comprised of toad demon and child. Giving Jaken his now-rumpled hat back, Kagome quieted Rin with a few soft words.

The miko then yawned, long and purposefully, and the little girl followed suit and seemed to droop a bit. Scooping her up in her arms, Kagome rocked her back and forth in a motherly fashion, and soon the child was lost to the dream world.

Walking over to a tree not far from the taiyoukai, the miko sat down, careful not to disturb her small sleeping bundle. Bracing her back against the tree, she got as comfortable as she could, and prepared herself for sleep as well.

"Miko."

Kagome looked up at the sound of his voice, and saw Sesshoumaru standing there, Mokomoko in his outstretched hand. Her eyes lit up and she leaned forward a bit as he dropped it to land on her shoulders. Pulling it securely around her and Rin, she whispered, "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama. You're so good to us."

The demon merely nodded and walked away to establish himself again under his customary tree, assessing the camp as he went. Jaken had settled down next to Ah-Un, hat clutched protectively in his hands as he dozed. The twin dragons were blearily staring off into the fire, watching the flames undulate.

Rin was well within the watch of the miko, so the taiyoukai focused on what Mokomoko was feeling to divulge his information. Apparently she was still awake, as he sensed her fast, steady heartbeat through the pelt.

Yes, she was still alert as ever, and rather restless. Forcing herself to calm down, Kagome took deep, steadying breaths, finding that they worked quite well. Just before she joined the others in dreamland, she ran her hand through the soft fur that was Mokomoko.

And from under his tree, Sesshoumaru shivered.

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Review response time!

Ju Kitsune: You shall sit and wait no longer! Here is my longest chapter (nine pages!), all for you, since you like long chapters. It's still ridiculously short compared to other chapters on ff.n but I tried! And you like how I deal with Sesshy? I think I'm making him horribly out of character! Ugh, he's such a brat to write. Especially in this chapter, where he is required to _talk._ Yeah, that's right, the almighty Bliss has forced the demon to talk! Muwahahaha! Eh, wasn't that hard really. Just give him a cookie and he'll do anything. ^_^


	9. Playing keep away

Agh! So sorry! College kicked my ass one too many times, moving wiped the floor with me, and Blaze, my damn muse, decided to go on a paid vacation to Tahiti! Damn him! But now that he's back, I think I have a chance at keeping all you readers happy. So, without further ranting, I present to you the next chapter, which has been dedicated to eklectic0204, Aikoyu Saotome, Tsukiyomi No Miko, badspelllr, sousie, angelapage, and Ju Kitsune!

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Playing keep away

Kagome woke up a little after dawn, muzzily wondering why Inuyasha hadn't woken her up yet. Surveying her surroundings, and trying to focus her sleep-ridden eyes, the miko reacquainted her mind with the fact that she belonged to Sesshoumaru's pack now. And realized that she was quite unnecessarily awake. The taiyoukai was nothing like Inuyasha, being rather lax in sleeping schedules, as his own was irregular. That is, if he happened to sleep at all.

Desperately needing to stretch, due to Rin setting on her lap through the night, Kagome gently set the small child down and rearranged Mokomoko around her. Pleased that she hadn't disturbed her rest, the miko went a bit into the woods to walk off the cramp in her legs.

Partway into the forest, the sound of running water alerted her to the presence of a stream nearby. Following the sound intently, Kagome eventually found it and dropped to its bank to wash up. Splashing the water on her face, and rolling up her sleeves to clean her arms off, the miko relished in the feeling. And sorely wished that she could take a proper bath.

Suddenly, a slight rustle in back of her caused the miko's alarm, and she spun around, only to be confronted by Sesshoumaru.

He looked her up and down and remarked offhandedly, "It is not safe for you to be out here alone."

Kagome just smiled softly and replied, "Well, I'm not alone now, am I?"

The taiyoukai inclined his head in acquiescence. Abruptly, though, he lifted his nose to the wind and gave a tentative sniff. Sesshoumaru's eyes hardened almost imperceptibly, and he imperatively said, "Come."

Having to trot to keep up with the demon's long strides, the miko asked, "What's wrong?"

"The hanyou is near."

Giving a gasp of dismay, Kagome whimpered, "What are we going to do? I can't go back now."

"Wake Rin. We will be on our way momentarily."

Arriving at the campsite at that moment, she could see that Jaken was already bustling about and had actually started packing.

Mentally blessing the toad demon for his sense of timing, the miko dashed over to where Rin was still blissfully reposing. Not wanting to upset the girl with the urgent news, she knelt down next to Rin, and brushed a strand of stray hair out of her face, gently propping the girl up in her arms. The child woke up to the soothing feeling of a hug enfolding her.

Seeing it was Kagome who embraced her, Rin immediately perked up and enthusiastically returned the cuddle. This open display of affection delighted the miko, who warmly giggled and rubbed noses with the smaller girl. Then, getting down to business, the girls set about packing up, but not without animatedly chattering to each other.

Both humans were blissfully unaware of what was transpiring between Sesshoumaru and Jaken at that time.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Do you realize what the wench is doing there? She is asserting her claim over- ow!"

Having had enough of the little retainer's assumptions, the taiyoukai had swiftly commandeered Jaken's staff and given him a good whack, carelessly dropping the weapon afterwards, and leaving the toad demon to nurse his wound.

But Jaken wasn't going to be put off so easily. Retrieving his mistreated staff, he trailed after his lord, still fussing.

"But didn't you _see_? She scent marked your ward! The wench is presuming to be your equa- ngh!"

This time, the hapless retainer was recovering from a well-aimed kick to his midsection, leaving him sputtering and gasping for breath. Jaken decided to capitulate right then and there, in order to escape further harassment on his person.

But that did not stop the retainer from grumbling. He shot venomous looks at the miko as he saddled Ah-Un and loaded the group's few belongings onto the demon. Fortunately, Kagome was unaware of his animosity as she concerned herself with taking care of Rin, and getting her safely onboard the now-ready Ah-Un.

Once this was accomplished, the miko doubtfully eyed the saddle room on the twin dragons. There was barely enough space for Jaken, much less herself.

Looking hesitantly to Sesshoumaru, Kagome was surprised when he motioned her over by his side. She complied, and was entirely shocked when he placed his arm around her shoulder. Her eyes were wide as she blinked up at him, then her focus shifted to the ground, when she felt her miko powers being brought to the surface.

There was a faint shifting in the particles beneath her feet. Kagome realized that the taiyoukai was calling on his youki cloud, and called her spiritual energy into check.

His hand on her shoulder tightened marginally, and suddenly they were airborne. The miko gasped, and her hand clutched involuntarily at his armor, holding tightly to one of the spikes.

And for the first time in his life, Sesshoumaru fled from his brother.

* * *

Reviewer's Corner!

eklectic0204: I'm so glad you like it! I'm trying very hard to keep it going, but lots of changes are going on right now in my life, so please bear with me! Thankies!

Aikoyu Saotome: I'm working on it, I swear! Life is hectic right now, so I'm tearing holes in the fabric of time to get a chance to write this! And thanks. I thought that it was a very plausible reason for Sesshoumaru to have his fluff.

Tsukiyomi No Miko: Thank you so much! And how did you find this again? Apparently I sent you a link which is very confusing, since I don't think I've ever sent a link to anyone. Curious…

badspelllr: Inuyasha always flips when Kagome is in danger, whether it's warranted or not. So, the extent of his flippage will most likely be seen in the next chapter. Stay tuned! Wow, I sound like a commercial…

sousie: Here's your update! Glad you liked it!

angelapage: I'm so happy you liked it! And I had to do that. Making Sesshy shiver is crack for Inuyasha writers, and I'm no different!

Ju Kitsune: I can't believe I made him talk! *pats self on back* I swear, I'm getting such a rush from how he's evolving. In a way, I'm glad Sess is such a mysterious character, since you can manipulate him and uncover things about him according to your own imagination. It's delightful!


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